SLAVE CABIN AND OAKS DRAPED WITH SPANISH MOSS
U.S.A. South Carolina 2011
In the 17th century and until the mid-19th century, slaves were needed for the production of rice on plantations in the coastal regions of South Carolina. Rice is a labor intensive crop, and at one time nearly 80% of the population of South Carolina were slaves.
On the large, prospering rice plantations the slaves lived in cabins like this one. It probably was just one room. Cooking was done outside.
When I was in Ethiopia recently, I took notice of the homes in villages. Some were rectangles like this slave cabin and some were round like the house below. Cooking was done outdoors, also.
ETHIOPIAN VILLAGE HOUSE
A young boy, whose home this was, appointed himself to be my guide. He was about eleven years old and his English was excellent. I had to zoom in to get this photo as his mother was in the yard working and she did not appear to be friendly. I stayed clear despite the boy’s urging that I enter the compound.
You can see his mother does many of her tasks outdoors. (I’m sure it is dark in the hut.) She has a pile of peppers drying by her door. Ethiopians love spicy food. When I walked through the market where the peppers were being sold, the pungent smell caused me to cough and choke. She has been winnowing some grain…see the flat, round basket and the cleaned grain on the newspaper. Apparently she did not fear that the chickens that roamed her yard would eat her grain. She also has a tray of food ready to be cooked. Meat is rarely eaten in homes like this one…maybe once a year if they are lucky.
My little guide pointed out the types of trees growing naturally in the area…coffee bushes, mango trees, banana, and one or two more including the balsa tree. A type of ‘tea’ is made from the leaves of the coffee bush. It’s flavored with ginger and sounds like it would be tasty but I didn’t get to try any.
While both houses…the slave cabin and the present day Ethiopian village house, seem comparable, the lack of freedom for the slaves made their lives a hell. We all want to be free. No one wants to be controlled by others no matter if the others live in the ‘big house’ or in Washington., D.C.